Writer: Cinnamon Lion

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Watch this if you liked: “Avatar”, “Jupiter Ascending”, “Guardians of the Galaxy”

The Good, the Bad and the Space agents:

With its stunning visual, audiences can't help but fall in love with "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets". Director Luc Besson is well-known for his well-crafted works so it's a given that the film will be so aesthetically pleasing.

No matter which planet or celestial cluster is displayed on the big screen, it will no doubt be a striking visual to behold. With the varying settings (from the vast dessert with a digital city incorporated into it to the belly of the sea inhabited by very, very large creatures), audiences will feel like they are propelled on one quite breath-taking adventure.

Leading the way will be the two space agents, the heroes that go by Valerian and Laureline. Fans of sci-fi, fantasy and romance are the real winners here because from the beginning to the end, the love story of Valerian and Laureline is never far from the surface. Valerian tirelessly woos his partner throughout the film, taking audiences with them on their will-they, won't-they roller coaster ride of a relationship.

Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne play their parts well enough, the chemistry is there between the two actors to actually be a believable couple onscreen. Meanwhile, Ethan Hawke effortlessly plays his character Jolly the Pimp, who was not easy to forget despite appearing only for a comparatively short scene in the movie.

And of course, here Rihanna does get her chance to shine bright like a diamond, her Bubble character gives her plenty of space to showcase as many attractive looks as she can within a short amount of time and even provide a little tearjerker moment. Fans of Chinese-idol-turned-actor Kris Wu will be happy to know his character here is more prominent and significant to the story (rather than just being another generic Asian stand-in), his one-liners gradually growing to longer sentences as the movie unfolds.

Besson did not cut corners when it comes to the costume and character designs and special effects used in the movie. As mentioned, the movie is visually arresting and having the right character design and visual effects definitely aided that department. With so many alien species (and various human races being represented), it is quite a treat for audiences to feast their eyes on the beautiful designs.

"Avatar" will most likely come to mind when watching the movie. The luminescent and colourful Pandora evokes a sense of wonder and this is exactly what the stunning visual in "Valerian" does too, aided by the top notch special effects.

Overall, the movie is an enjoyable ride if audiences are looking for a light watch that is aesthetically pleasing, especially when viewed in 3D. Watching this in 3D does make a difference and is definitely worth it as it gives more depth and dimension to the movie, making it, yes, even more pleasing to the eye.


Trivia:

• The main storyline is loosely based on "Ambassador of the Shadows", the sixth volume of the French science fiction comics series "Valerian and Laureline".

• This is the first Valerian story translated into English.

Cinema Online, 20 July 2017